Chapter 444: The Guardian of Yumen Pass

Listening to Wang Wendu’s attempt to steal Wang Ping’an’s military power, Fang Xuanling said: “Have your leg injured healed?”

Wang Wendu pinched his thighs and said, "When he was in Beijing, his leg hurt so much. I thought that the road would be bumpy on the road this time, but I didn't expect that the leg pain would get better during this time, but my leg pain would get better day by day, which was really strange!"

Fang Xuanling said: "Maybe it's a disease of wealth and honor, just get tired. Well, since that's the case, then there's no need to whisper to Wang Ping'an. If we catch up with him and he's not in control of the surrendered Turks, I can gain military power for you."

Wang Wendu was overjoyed. He hardly talked to Fang Xuanling along the way, but he didn't expect that when Fang Xuanling was about to catch up with Wang Ping'an, he actually promised to obtain military power for him. This is a huge support!

Wang Wendu even claimed thanks. He was a soldier for his whole life, but he never became a general until he was old. If he could successfully obtain the military power of Wang Ping'an, then he would have hope to be promoted to a general. In life, there must be some goals. The goal of a soldier is to be a general, and the goal of a general is of course to become a general!

The two met the governor and governor of Suzhou and asked in detail about the Turks. Could anyone cause trouble?

The governor of Suzhou was not sure whether Fang Xuanling came to find Wang Ping'an to make trouble. How could he know about the affairs in the court? He was a local official or a local official in the border area. He thought he wanted to reward Wang Ping'an based on his merits and reward him. He could not help him in time, and it was always possible to add icing on the cake.

Of course, the governor of Suzhou wanted to praise Wang Ping'an, saying that he could completely control the Turks, and there was no accident. The governor of Suzhou did not praise anything, but did not say bad things about Wang Ping'an. He just said that he had a short time to get along, but he just met once and didn't know much about him, so he refused to take any responsibility.

Just like not asking, Fang Xuanling did not get anything valuable in Suzhou, so he had to take Wang Wendu to Yumen Pass.

At this time, Wang Ping'an had already brought a large group of Turkic people to Yumen Pass.

Yumen Pass is not the boundary of the Tang Dynasty. There is still a vast territory outside the pass belonging to the Tang Dynasty. However, Yumen Pass is a place that divides the Central Plains and the Western Regions. This division will gradually expand westward with the increase of the Tang Dynasty. In the prosperous Tang Dynasty, for the ten thousand miles of Western Regions, Yumen Pass has become the mainland.

But in the early Tang Dynasty, Yumen Pass was very important. Once the pass was released, the power of the governor or governor would increase, and he would have great autonomy in administration and mobilizing the army, and it could even be said to be similar to the foreign king!

Gu Lantian, the governor of Yumen Pass, has a third rank in charge and his position as the Grand Commander. He is the highest military commander of the Northwest border. He has a large army of 20,000, including 8,000 elite troops. He controls the Qilian Mountains in the south, suppresses Tuyuhun, and deters the grasslands in the north, suppresses all Turkic troops.

Yumen Pass is a military center with the same status as Youzhou along the Great Wall, and it is also the most powerful military armed force of the Tang Dynasty in the northwest.

Gu Lantian had already received news that Wang Ping'an was going to move here with more than 100,000 Turkic people. In the past few days, he sent scouts to inquire about Wang Ping'an's location every day and see where he was.

On this day, the scouts reported that Wang Ping'an was only two days away from Yumen Pass and was expected to reach the pass the day after tomorrow. Gu Lantian called all the generals to discuss how to resettle these Turks.

In fact, there is nothing to discuss about this matter, it is just a matter of food and grass. As long as you survive this winter, as soon as the weather is warmer next year, these Turks can support themselves. If there is a grassland, it will be done. Isn’t Zheliu County ready-made?

The generals were reluctant to share the food and grass with the Turks, and they all made suggestions to Gu Lantian to make trouble with Wang Ping'an. If they had to provide food and grass with Yumen Pass, they could only provide it every three days, just like they were now provided to the Turkic tribes stationed outside the Pass.

The Turkic tribe stationed outside the pass was nothing but Wang Ping'an's disciple Ashinaqiboer. Ashinaqiboer planned to revive the Qiding tribe and constantly gathered the Turkic herders. The effect was not very obvious some time ago, but after two heavy snowfalls, the number of Turkic people who defected to him increased sharply, and now it has reached as many as 10,000.

However, more than 10,000 Turks could not cause any danger to Yumen Pass. They were all elderly, weak, women and children who wanted food and grass without food, cattle, sheep, cattle, sheep, and sheep. The poor people were all supported by Gu Lantian. Gu Lantian was only willing to provide food and grass once every three days, hanging Ashinaqi'er, so that his tribe could not starve to death, but could not eat enough.

In the Yumen Pass Barracks, a huge castle full of Western style and built with adida bricks, Gu Lantian sat at the innermost part of the house. Hundreds of generals were lined up, and there were fires burning in the house. On the fire were barbecuing several sheep. The generals sat on the ground, eating meat and holding meetings, shouting.

A general held a wine bowl and shouted: "Grandmaster, our food is not generous. We have already provided the group of Turkic waste outside the pass. Now there are more than 100,000 more. How to provide it? If we give it to them, we will have nothing to eat!"

Another general shouted, "Yes, why are we soldiers in this place where birds don't shit? Isn't it just to fight the Turks, but now we have to distribute the rations to them. Why don't we fight, and it's going to be raised?"

"We are not the fathers of the Turks, why should we support them!" The generals started crying in a mess.

Some even shouted: "It's better to cut off all these Turks by one knife and cut them down, which is more convenient!"

Gu Lantian was holding a wine bowl in one hand and a chicken leg in the other, and was gnawing. He was different from other generals. He didn't like to eat beef and mutton, but liked to eat chicken. Raising chickens in winter was expensive because chickens didn't eat grass and ate millet, otherwise they wouldn't grow fat, and the food between chickens and people was in conflict. But it was precisely because of this that Gu Lantian seemed to have a taste and special identity. In places like Yumenguan, eating chicken in winter, but eating iced watermelon in summer with people in the Central Plains is the most advanced enjoyment.

Gu Lantian swallowed a mouthful of chicken and said with a shiny mouth: "I heard that the Turks who came this time are very different from those outside the pass, and they cannot be considered waste. They all say that there are as many as 50,000 Turkic soldiers."

But the generals all said: "There are not necessarily 50,000 people who can really go to the battlefield. They can pick and pick up the pick and pick. Just like our auxiliary soldiers, at most 20,000. If they are the same as the palace soldiers, there will be only 5,000 people at most. Maybe there are not many!"

Gu Lantian threw away the chicken bones, wiped his mouth, and said, "Even if there are five thousand people, that's not a lot. I have a plan to pick out four thousand people from it and gather out a battalion of government soldiers. Then we have three battalion of government soldiers. We can declare more food, grass, weapons and weapons to the court, and everyone can also have more oil and water."

The generals smiled and said, "We have enough oil and water. Eating meat all day is boring. If you can eat more vegetables, that would be great. Even if you eat every few days, it would be better than eating meat all day!"

Gu Lantian smiled and said, "If people from all prefectures and counties in the Central Plains can eat meat every day, it will be like the New Year every day. You eat meat every day, but it is boring, and you will not let others live!"

One of the military officers said: "Grandmaster, if we want to divide the soldiers of Wang Ping'an, we are afraid that he will not agree! The military power does not matter when it is not available, but once it is available, no one will give up easily!"

Gu Lantian thought for a while and said, "That's right, how can you let Wang Ping'an divide his troops to us?"

Joining the army said, "This is simple, and we have to find a way to make food. The Grand Governor, please think, we will give the Turks outside the pass once every three days. The little boy from the Ashin family will be as flattered as a grandson when he sees you. If the food we give to Wang Ping'an will be once a day, and then he will cut off his cooking from time to time, he will definitely become your grandson, please don't have time!"

The generals laughed and shouted: "Will that Ping'an Khan become a grandson Khan?"

Gu Lantian touched his chin and said, "A few days ago, a general in the court sent me a letter asking me to send a monk out of seclusion. The monk once said that he had a good relationship with Wang Ping'an, and it was the general that Wang Ping'an went to ask him to get the letter. If he forced Wang Ping'an to be too cruel and he would complain to the general, I would be a little uneasy!"

"Which general wrote the letter for him?" asked the military officer.

Gu Lantian did not answer, waved his hand and said, "You just need to know that there are people above Wang Ping'an. His troops are not easy to divide, so you have to find a way!"

The military officer's eyes rolled and said, "If there were someone above him, then things would be difficult, but there was no way out!"

The generals looked at him together. This army has always had many ideas and is considered a think tank in the army.

Joined the army pointed to the west and said, "Isn't the little boy from the Ashin family outside the pass? He has a mother. I heard that the surname is Wu, he is from the Central Plains, not a Turkic girl. If the Grand Governor doesn't dislike her as a widow, it's better to marry her. At that time, the little boy from the Ashin family will become your stepson. If he pinched him into his palm, would he be afraid that Wang Ping'an would be disobedient!"

Gu Lantian frowned and said, "This... is just a disciple, and it may not be able to threaten Wang Ping'an!"

Joining the army exclaimed and said, "Wang Ping'an is a member of the Secretariat, and he must be a vengeance. These literati and poets value the most reputation. If the Grand Governor is a stepfather and moves a little bit hard to the clan of Ashin's family, the clan will ask Wang Ping'an to protect him. At that time, Wang Ping'an will not be able to ignore the mercy and will definitely ask the Grand Governor to show mercy. Then the conditions will be made, and he will not be afraid that he will not agree."

The generals clapped and laughed, all laughing: "This move is enough, but it is natural for fathers to beat their son. If Wang Ping'an wants to interfere in the management, he will have to make some blood. Let's not want anything else, just want his Turkic soldiers in his battalion!"

Gu Lantian was also happy, picked up a piece of chicken and chewed it in his mouth, and smiled and said, "Okay, then let's do it like that. Go and bring some gifts to Mrs. Wu, the old man wants her to be a kid and will get married tomorrow... Well, this chicken butt is so fragrant and has a lot of oil!"
Chapter completed!